Love Your Mental blends art, entertainment and self-care with 2nd annual Rockford event

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Lesly Martinez doesn’t think talking about your mental health has to be a heavy topic.

The 25-year-old traveling registered nurse has created an event that sets out to change the perspective on mental health by normalizing talking about it in a relaxed and fun atmosphere.

Love Your Mental, which is now in its second year, blends art, music, yoga, shopping and food with a variety of ways to focus on self-care. It takes place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at Real Beautiful You, 420 N. Main St., about a block north of the Coronado Performing Arts Center.

“It’s making it normal and making it a casual conversation,” said Martinez, an East High School graduate. “It’s a mental health event, but look at what else is going on.

“It’s the bigger conversation while also highlighting, ‘hey, this is normal.’ It’s normal to go to an event, talk about mental health with a supportive community and not feel judged whatsoever.”

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There will be 45 vendors set up around the historic Emerson residence. There are also live painters, a DJ and three food trucks: Vintage Goose Airstream Cafe, TNT Funnel Cakes and Iron Salamander. There are also 14 nonprofit organizations that provide mental health services there to offer guidance.

Last year, “I was watching people have nonprofit fliers in one hand and shopping in the other,” Martinez said.

Some of the resources on site include aroma therapy, art therapy, beauty therapy, massage therapy, pet therapy, reiki and yoga.

“I want to highlight the various resources we have available in our community,” Martinez said. “I think it’s really powerful to learn about traditional and alternative mental health therapies.”

Several vendors will donate part of their proceeds to the 988 suicide crisis line, and while admission is free there will be donations accepted to go toward the line.

Martinez said the goal is not only to raise money for the crisis line, but to raise awareness about its existence. The three-digit number was rolled out last year, but a survey released earlier this month by the National Alliance on Mental Illness shows just about 17% of Americans are very or somewhat aware of the line.

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Others misunderstand the line, NAMI said, with many people assuming calling 988 will lead to police or emergency services being dispatched. However, 988 does not use geolocation services, calls remain anonymous and less than 2% of such calls require a connection to 911, according to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

“For example, if I’m having a panic attack and I just can’t get out of it, I can hit those three numbers and someone’s right there for me and they’re a listening ear, someone you need at that exact moment that’s not bias,” Martinez said. “A lot of people could use that, especially in times of need when we’re really in crisis ourselves.”

According to the Lifeline, more than five million calls and texts have been routed to 988 since it was launched a year ago. That’s a 66% from the previous 12 months under the 10-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number.

Throw your feelings

Martinez, who is married to Golden Gloves boxing champion Angel Martinez, started her mental health advocacy brand Love Your Mental through art. Amid the pandemic, she picked up an iPad and started doodling, which led to the creation of her first enamel pin. That pin, with the slogan “mind your mental,” helped raise $1,000 for NAMI.

“I use art for myself to escape my mental health struggles,” Martinez said. “A lot of my vendors can relate. … We all kind of have that connection.”

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Sunday’s event will culminate in a community art project that invites you to participate whether you have any artistic skill or not.

She will have canvases set up for you to choose a paint color that matches your feeling, and then throw or splatter it across the canvas with a sponge or other utensil.

“Throw what you’re feeling, and we’re going to create abstract art,” she said. “Once all the canvases are done and completed, I’ll take all of them, I’ll add my own artistic taste.”

She then hopes to display the final creations as part of an exhibit in a local gallery or museum, or during the Fall ArtScene.

What she’ll create?

“I don’t know what,” she said, “which I’m super excited about.”

Know before you go | Love Your Mental

When: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, July 30

Where: Real Beautiful You, 420 N. Main St., Rockford

About: Love Your Mental 2023 blends art, entertainment and self care with a variety of mental health resources including aroma therapy, art therapy, beauty therapy, massage therapy, pet therapy, reiki, yoga, music and various food trucks. All funds raised benefit the 988 suicide crisis line.

Info: loveyourmental.com 

Admission: Free; donations accepted

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas